Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming systems with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Another bonus game concept that has been advantageously employed is the communal wagering game, or “Big Event”, concept. The communal wagering game is displayed on a communal display which is connected to a number of wagering gaming machines. Based on various aspects of the play of the wagering gaming machines, for example, each gaming machine's recent wager history within a predetermined time period, two or more of the gaming machines are selected to participate in the communal wagering game. One such communal wagering game is disclosed in commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/354,522, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Although the communal wagering game increases the excitement level of the game play experience, increases in the anticipation and excitement generated by the communal wagering game are desired. Further, displaying communal awards in the communal wagering game as they are accrued in an exciting method is desired to further increase anticipation by the players.